Chrysalis
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Byakuya's cousin, Tetsuya, is sent to guard Aizen Sousuke on Christmas Eve, both end up ensnared by each other and the hougyoku. The result of a night of mutual comfort together forces a desperate Tetsuya into making a rash and dangerous decision that could be the end for both of them. Aizen/Tetsuya, mpreg
1. An Angel for Christmas

**Chrysalis**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**New and soft and lovely, you cradle my growing form. Within your careful boundaries, I become strong, even as your surface dries, cracks and withers. Into the light, I emerge and cling to you as my body calms and my wings dry. As I rise into the air and take flight, I look back on the empty shell that used to be you…and I am grateful.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke heard the sound of his cell door opening and rotated his one uncovered eye to see a young, dark-haired man entering his cell.

_Ah yes._

_He has been on guard quite a few times recently. A member of the Kuchiki household. Byakuya's own bodyguard, called by Central 46 so that they could enjoy the holidays without fearing my escape._

_His name...Tetsuya._

_A lovely young man._

_But he's coming in this time?_

_A brave soul, Kuchiki Tetsuya._

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," he said, looking up at the young man as he approached, "To what do I owe the honor of your company?"

"You know my name?" Tetsuya asked, calm surprise in his youthful face, "Have we met before?"

Aizen smiled.

"I have felt your presence several times in the past few days, and I have heard your name mentioned by the other guards. You are on special assignment, ne?"

"You listen closely."

"Yes," Aizen said, smirking, "But that is easy when one is bound and left with nothing else to do but listen and make plans. But...I must ask again, why have you come into my cell?"

Tetsuya pulled a chair up in front of the prisoner and sat down, then let a small pack slide down off of one slender shoulder.

"It is Christmas Eve," he answered quietly, "Does not even the great Aizen Sousuke crave company on such a night?"

"You...come to mock me, Kuchiki Tetsuya?" Aizen asked, "I am surprised. You don't seem the type to be deliberately cruel."

"I did not come to mock you," Tetsuya answered, reaching down and opening the pack he had brought.

He slipped a hand inside and removed several parcels that he laid on a small table.

Aizen caught a breath of warm spices and felt his mouth water.

"You have come to have Christmas dinner with me," Aizen mused, smirking again, "Why?"

Tetsuya looked into his one uncovered eye dispassionately.

"It is Christmas Eve and your poor behavior has made me have to leave my family and spend the evening with you. I have been instructed to watch you closely, and so I will. However, I imagined you would enjoy having company and something better than prison rations tonight."

"You are a generous soul, Tetsuya."

"I merely didn't want to miss out on Christmas dinner, sitting alone in a cold prison with a heartless criminal," commented the noble, "I hate this kind of place. This is not something I wanted to do."

"No," Aizen agreed, "The council was concerned that in their absence and while guards are shifted about for coverage during the holidays, I might attempt to escape. They must have great faith in you to assign you to guard me tonight. Do you not fear for your life?"

He watched as Tetsuya portioned food out onto two plates, then poured two cups of fine sake.

"No, not you. You are not frightened of me. Only cautious. You are a brave man to think you are safe with me."

"No. I am prepared."

"You are prepared?" Aizen asked, smiling at him, "How so?"

Tetsuya returned Aizen's smile.

"I have a companion monitoring my vital signs, my spiritual pressure, and ready to use taichou level force to impede you, should you attempt to do me any harm. So, even if your power leaks through the seal and affects me, my partner will know and act on my behalf."

"Then...you have a lover?" asked Aizen.

"You are oddly curious about me," Tetsuya commented, taking a bite of food from his plate, then offering Aizen a bite from the other.

The prisoner felt an explosion of warm flavors that seemed to radiate through his restrained body, and barely suppressed a sigh of contentment.

"I don't get many people coming into my cell, as you can imagine. Mostly just boring old men, not usually beauties like yourself. So, yes, I am curious when someone...different enters this place."

"I see," said Tetsuya, "Well, I am curious also, Aizen Sousuke, so before I answer your questions, I want you to answer the same for me. Do you have a lover?"

Aizen's lips smiled more widely and his eye twinkled.

"I was seeing Gin, but he betrayed me and I killed him. Then while here, I did play with one young, naive guard. But someone sensed that I had tampered with him and he left. So, no, I do not have a lover. And you?"

"I have no lover," answered Tetsuya, "And I want none."

Aizen gazed at him curiously as Tetsuya continued to alternate between feeding the prisoner and taking bites from his own plate. He almost purred as the noble treated him to a swallow of heated sake.

"Oh...that is wonderful, Tetsuya. I see why you didn't want to miss out on Christmas dinner at Kuchiki Manor. Byakuya does have very fine culinary experts."

"He does," Tetsuya agreed, "I am glad you are enjoying your meal."

"I am enjoying your company more. Tell me, Tetsuya, why is it that such a lovely young man has such a jaded attitude about love?"

Tetsuya considered the question quietly as he continued to eat, and to feed Aizen.

"I have only been in love once, and my lover was killed."

"I am sorry to hear that. Was he killed in battle?"

"He was killed while we were being rescued from an illegal family prison."

Aizen's eyes widened.

"Itamigiri?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Tetsuya asked, "It is a closely guarded family secret."

"I gathered information on the noble families as part of my plans," Aizen explained, "I came across the information amidst the intelligence. You were a prisoner there, then? You are a half blood?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that explains quite a few things about you," Aizen mused, "except perhaps how you came to be Byakuya's right hand. But then, I sense respectable power in you. And he does seem to have a soft spot for people of lesser descent, ne? Are you sure you never indulged in him after his wife passed away? The way you are described..."

"I owe Byakuya-sama my life, and I work at repaying that debt by guarding him carefully."

"Ah yes, and you ready to sacrifice your own life in the effort, no? But what a terrible waste, Tetsuya. I can think of much better uses for that luscious body of yours."

"I am certain you can," Tetsuya answered, a gentle flush touching his features, "And I am equally certain I have no interest."

"Ah, too bad. It has been a long time since something soft and deliciously fragrant was anywhere near me. But then, you were a prisoner. You understand those feelings of longing."

Tetsuya blinked slowly, his dark blue eyes betraying a hint of sadness. Aizen forced his lips not to smile and watched the young man's face fastidiously as Tetsuya answered.

"I do," he said finally, "We were fortunate in being allowed to stretch our legs in the small courtyard there, twice a day as long as we were compliant. And some of us tended the gardens as part of our duties there."

"And stole time with your lovers in secret dalliances, ne?"

"No. I shared a cell with my lover, Naoki. And we were always careful not to let it be known that we were intimate. We would have been separated. The guards liked to use us themselves."

"And I imagine that with such a beautiful face, they did not hesitate in giving you their attentions?"

"No, although I was mostly the property of one man within the prison. But enough of that. Would you like to stretch your legs, Aizen Sousuke?"

"What?" said the prisoner, looking surprised, "You mean...?"

"I mean that I have leave to unbind you and to allow you to walk about your cell...as long as certain measures are taken to protect me and to make sure that you do not escape," Tetsuya explained.

"And those are?"

"I think that I will keep that to myself," Tetsuya said shortly, "Suffice it to say that if you try to attack me, it will bring our time together to a very abrupt end. I think you do not want that."

"No," said Aizen, the smile returning to his lips as Tetsuya slowly unbound him, "You are enchanting company, Tetsuya."

"I imagine just about anyone would be more enchanting than the empty space you have around you most of the time," the noble commented.

He paused for a moment, kneeling to unbind Aizen's legs. Tetsuya froze as Aizen's fingers slipped beneath his chin and coaxed his eyes up to meet the prisoner's.

"Thank you," Aizen said quietly, "for showing mercy to someone serving a sentence far longer than yours by tens of thousands of years. And more certainly, someone who has actually sinned in a manner consistent with his sentence."

The noble let out a soft breath and stood, reaching out a hand to steady Aizen and he lifted himself out of the chair he had been bound to and stood on shaky legs. He leaned against Tetsuya for the first few steps, allowing the circulation to be restored, then released the noble as they continued to walk the edges of the room several times before returning to the table, where the rest of their meal waited.

"Dessert too, Tetsuya?" Aizen said approvingly, joining the younger man at the table, where they sat, facing each other.

Tetsuya portioned out two servings of warmed pie, then dished out ice cream from an insulated package.

"You spoil me."

"It is a time of celebration, and near the beginning of a new year," Tetsuya said, a tired look overtaking his face.

"What is that weary expression?" asked Aizen, "You are a young man with a full life ahead of you. At least you have your freedom."

"But when I lost Naoki, it was like losing part of my soul," Tetsuya said solemnly, "And as resolute as I am to spend the rest of my life in the service of my cousin, who freed me, I..."

He paused, blinking in realization that the sake had caused him to lower his guard too much. Aizen smiled.

"You lack ambition for youtself," he said quietly, "You focus on Byakuya so that you will not feel the loneliness inside you. As much as you claim that you do not desire love, you hunger for it, Kuchiki Tetsuya."

"This from the all powerful Aizen Sousuke, who thought that he could rise above everyone, but fell because he too was lonely?"

"Who told you such a thing?" the prisoner asked, frowning.

Tetsuya looked down at his nearly empty plate.

"I am friends with Kurosaki Ichigo," he explained, "And he told me that, at the end of your battle, he began to be able to feel the soul within your blade. He said that it radiated only intense loneliness."

"Is that so," Aizen mused, "That is interesting. Unexpected."

"Are you saying that you are not lonely?"

Aizen's lips twitched softly.

"That is complicated."

He looked down at his plate.

"I think I rather enjoyed it when you fed me by hand, Tetsuya," he said, smirking, "The dinner was delicious, as is your company. Please, allow me to show you my gratitude."

He captured Tetsuya's hand, and the younger man watched in silence as Aizen's lips brushed lightly against the pale, soft skin. A flush bloomed instantly on the noble's skin, but even as he wanted to pull his hand away, he found that he couldn't.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked, his eyes widening, "Don't think you can...!"

"I am not going to hurt you, nor am I attempting to escape," Aizen said calmly, stroking Tetsuya's fingers gently, "I want to give you something in return for your kindness. Yet being a prisoner and owning nothing anymore limits what I can offer you."

"You need offer me nothing," Tetsuya said quickly, freezing again as Aizen's hand captured his cheek.

"Oh, I insist!"

Tetsuya remained motionless, not even drawing a breath as Aizen leaned forward across the table and kissed him warmly on the lips. He sucked in a breath, steadying himself and blushing more furiously as the kiss ended.

"Ah, I am sorry," Aizen said, looking deeply amused, "I've flustered you. How charming, Tetsuya. I am becoming quite infatuated with you."

"Because you think I could be useful in helping you escape," the younger man said, standing and beginning to clean up the remnants of their meal, "Don't think I am stupid, Aizen Sousuke. You use everyone around you."

Aizen moved forward, smiling as Tetsuya backed away until he was gently trapped against a wall of the cell.

"And you do not 'use' the people around you?" Aizen asked, bringing his lips close to the noble's again, "You use me for company, your cousin Byakuya as your motivation for building your strength...for remaining alive even. Need I go on? Your motives are more pure, but we _all_ use the people around us, Tetsuya. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. And right now is the perfect example."

"What do you mean?" Tetsuya asked, his eyelids fluttering anxiously.

"We are both lonely, using each other for company. And we both long for affection and physical contact, but do not desire love, ne? So, we share a common purpose."

"I did not come here to...!" Tetsuya began, his blue eyes flashing.

He broke off as Aizen's lips crashed hungrily into his and feasted on them voraciously, while the prisoner's hands slipped beneath his clothes, one curving around his bottom and the other seeking his nether region.

"Stop it!" the noble exclaimed, trying to pull away, "Stop it or I will...!"

"Oh, don't leave, Tetsuya. I won't do anything you do not agree to. It's just that you are so very enchanting, and I have been locked up alone in this place for more than a year already. I haven't tasted hot, gourmet food, had such stimulating conversation or been close to _anyone_, let alone a lovely young man like you. And I do not simply take pleasure in being with you. I offer it as well."

"You!"

"It is Christmas Eve and we are here alone, ne? Except for each other. Are you worried about the other guards peeping in? Or perhaps your partner sensing the arousal in your body? You are very aroused by me already. I can feel that," Aizen said, brushing his lips against Tetsuya's again and enjoying the shiver that passed through the young man, "It wouldn't be selfish for us to ease each others' loneliness tonight. I know you are resolved not to seek love. But surely some physical comforts are not out of the question?"

"If you are thinking of using such a thing to use me to escape..."

"Although young, you are not lacking in intelligence, Tetsuya," Aizen said, interrupting him, "And you are oddly wise for your age...but prison will do that to a person, no?"

Tetsuya stared back at him, wondering suddenly when his fingers had become entangled with the prisoner's clothing. And why he was trembling. Aizen's face turned slightly, so that their cheeks brushed against each other, then his lips found the soft, pale skin of the noble's throat and teased the area gently.

"Think of it this way. We have no love attachments and would be betraying none with our actions. You have no intention of falling in love with me, nor I you. And you are on guard, so will not be useful in helping me escape. Within those boundaries, are we not free to explore each other? Are you not curious to know more of me?"

"Who would not be?" Tetsuya said, the words leaving his lips before he could reconsider them, "I don't think anyone really understands what moves you to act as you do."

"You _are_ curious, then?" asked the prisoner, tickling Tetsuya's flushed skin with his breath and making it darken further, "It is all right to admit that."

"Perhaps. Perhaps I am," the noble answered, "But being curious doesn't mean that I will allow you to manipulate me. What steps I take are for my own reasons."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, taking his lips more firmly.

Tetsuya's eyes closed, and when Aizen's tongue teased his lips, he hesitated for a moment, then parted them. The hands that clutched at the front of the prisoner's white yukata unclenched and spread out onto Aizen's chest. A dizzy feeling of falling passed over him that had nothing to do with the sake he had been drinking and he felt himself being lifted off of his feet and carried, then laid down on the unused cot in the cell. Aizen undressed him slowly, his narrowed eyes feasting on the lovely, angelic body he had so been hoping that he would be allowed to see...to touch...to taste. Tetsuya's eyes opened again and met his calmly, despite the agitated flutter of his heart and the rising sense of danger. He watched as Aizen closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in the noble's light, sakura scent. His eyelids fluttered and opened, and his sly brown eyes burned down into Tetsuya's hazy blue ones.

Aizen's face registered surprise as Tetsuya's hand loosed the tie on the prisoner's yukata, then pushed back the material, baring his chest. The noble's eyes fixed on the hougyoku where it remained buried in Aizen's chest. He felt beads of sweat rise on his skin and his trembling fingertips touched the device questingly.

"It is all right," Aizen assured him, "The hougyoku is under a strong seal, and in any case, it has rejected me. You have nothing to fear from it."

But Tetsuya sensed the danger that still existed as the hougyoku's voice whispered into his mind.

_Welcome, Kuchiki Tetsuya. I am glad you have come._

Tetsuya inhaled sharply, pulling his hand away. Aizen gazed at him curiously.

"Did it speak to you? What did it say?" he asked.

_I feel your desires...the ones that you would never speak to another living soul._

"N-nothing," Tetsuya lied, his heart pounding.

Aizen seemed to look right through him.

"Ah, that is surprising, if it is true," his said, running a finger along the noble's lips, "The hougyoku is a sentient being, Tetsuya. And like the rest of us, it seeks to use what it finds around it."

"I thought that you said that it was sealed away," Tetsuya objected.

_I can give you what you want._

"It is," agreed Aizen, "So it cannot leave my body, nor can it cause me to change as I did before. But remember, even when the hougyoku was incomplete, it had an innate ability to affect the ones around it, based on their desires. The hougyoku senses your inner desires, Tetsuya, and it can, to some extent, grant them."

"If it deems them somehow useful," said the noble, "So it is good that I aspire only to protect the ones I love."

"And you do not think that such a desire is useful to the hougyoku?" Aizen chided him, warming his lips with another long kiss, "I did not think you were that naive. That is exactly the kind of desire the hougyoku would find irresistible. Surely you see that."

"What do you mean?" Tetsuya asked breathlessly.

"To protect your loved ones, you would do _anything_, ne?"

"Yes."

"If your loved ones were in danger, you would apply all of your strength to protect them. The hougyoku knows that. And more than that, it would benefit from you being pushed to that state, Tetsuya."

The noble felt a hard chill slice through his young body.

"You mean that it would endanger them?" he said in an alarmed tone, pulling away from Aizen and sitting up quickly.

"Relax," Aizen reassured him, curling an arm around him, "The hougyoku cannot affect your family and friends, only you and me. It can only affect the ones within its range. That is limited here."

"But it still requires caution."

"You are wise to see that," Aizen commented, "But enough about that. Come now, we were about to partake of something much more pleasant."

He wrapped his arms around the still uncertain noble, plunging deeply into his mouth and teasing his tongue mercilessly until it couldn't help but curl around his. Tetsuya's arms returned his embrace, and he slid onto Aizen's lap, spreading his soft, creamy thighs and letting their aroused members touch as their kissing deepened.

_Tetsuya._

The noble flinched at the return of the hougyoku's voice, but Aizen didn't seem to notice, only kissing him harder and curving both hands around his bare bottom, teasing his hips into motion. The gentle friction between their bodies distracted him, and he almost jumped when the hougyoku sounded in his mind again.

_You have a deep desire that I can fulfill._

The noble moaned helplessly as Aizen's fingers touched him questioningly, then slowly began to prepare him. He clenched at the prisoner's yukata and panted into a strong shoulder as the hougyoku went on.

_You want to protect your loved ones._

Tetsuya's eyes closed tightly and his moans became feverish, his mind nearly incoherent as Aizen's probing fingers caressed him until his mind began to lose coherence and he nearly disappeared into the sensation.

_You know this man is a danger to everyone, and you know as well that he cannot be killed._

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped, writhing heatedly against Aizen as the two kissed again.

_Although you cannot kill him, you can protect everyone with one simple action._

"N-no..." the noble moaned deliriously.

He went almost breathless with agony as Aizen stopped and gazed down at him.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, "I will, if you have changed your mind. This is a willing exchange, after all."

_When he takes you, open your heart to him._

"No," Tetsuya panted, unsure whether he was answering Aizen or the hougyoku.

_I cannot do that._

_Not after what happened before, with Naoki. And this man is horridly dangerous. This can only end in disaster! _

_I won't!_

He could almost feel the hougyoku's smile.

_You can't help it, _it whispered into his mind, _It isn't in your nature to screw someone mindlessly._

_I have been taken plenty of times. But only one person has ever truly reached me, _Tetsuya countered.

_But those others were not lovers. They took you by force. You don't know the meaning of 'casual sex,' although you think that you do._

Aizen kissed Tetsuya's lips again and slowly lowered him onto his back. He positioned himself between the noble's thighs, opening them wider and smiling down at the beautiful man who laid in full surrender beneath him. He brushed a few long strands of raven black hair away from Tetsuya's sweaty face and met his dazed eyes affectionately.

"I am glad that you came to me, Tetsuya," Aizen said, touching his prepared entrance lightly, "To unexpectedly experience something so lovely and enticing, especially in my current circumstances, is overpowering."

_Aizen Sousuke desires an end to his solitude. And you desire an end to the danger he poses. Open your heart to him now, and you will both get what you desire!_

Tetsuya groaned fitfully, quivering under Aizen's hands as his body was gently invaded. He shivered and stared at where Aizen's hand had found his and laced their fingers together.

_It takes an angel to balance the soul of a demon, _whispered the hougyoku, _He will cause you great anguish, but in the end you will both find what you desire in each other, as in nowhere else._

_Open your heart, Tetsuya._

_Let him all of the way inside you._

He felt the deception in the words, but was left defenseless as Aizen's mouth found his again, and his body began to move of its own accord, his heart opening heedlessly without him ever deciding to allow it.

_I fear you are right. I have never engaged in casual sex. My heart is there and guides the movement of my body and my soul. All that I do of my own accord is like that. I didn't understand the difference before. When the guards raped me, I could keep my distance. But I willingly laid down with this man._

_Yes, _purred the hougyoku, _Your eyes are fully opened now. Look at what you have done...what no one else has ever done. Your opened heart speaks to his, Tetsuya. He will fall helplessly in love with you._

_Impossible, _Tetsuya objected, _Aizen Sousuke is not naive, nor is he a stupid man. Something like this could never ensnare him._

_Look at him, then, if you doubt,_ said the hougyoku, _Look into his eyes and see the truth._

And he couldn't help but look.

Aizen leaned over him, his powerful hips thrusting heavily now into Tetsuya's shaking body. Their mingled moans rose into cries of intense pleasure. Tetsuya's eyes found his, and registered a moment of shock and hesitation. It was gone almost instantly, and their lovemaking continued.

_What was that?_

_What did I see in his eyes?_

Aizen's hands clenched, the man's fingers digging painfully into Tetsuya's skin as the body on top of his shuddered, and scathing heat flooded him inside. Tetsuya gave a hard scream of pleasure and closed his eyes involuntarily as he released between their panting forms.

Aizen's body came to rest gently on top of his, and the two resumed their kissing as Tetsuya's mind spun in circles, trying to make sense of what had happened.

_It was just comfort...a release from our loneliness. It didn't mean anything and it will likely never happen again._

_So, why do the hougyoku's words haunt me?_

He drifted off, still wondering, not even noticing Aizen's suddenly predatory smile.

"How careless of you to fall asleep so trustingly in your enemy's arms, Tetsuya," he said, smirking.

Tetsuya came awake some time later to find himself carefully bound into the chair that Aizen had occupied. Aizen stood in front of him, smiling down at him.

"My apologies," he said, offering the noble a warm kiss, "But I needed you to lower your defenses so that I could bind you without setting off any alarms. Bound as you are now, whatever power you planned to use will be inhibited by the restrictive seal in the bonds. And when the guards come, even if the alarm does sound, they will see only me, left in my bindings as before. I realize that this is a cruel fate for a gentle soul, such as yours, but I really cannot overlook a chance to escape this place. You understand, ne? I am grateful to you, Tetsuya. And I will be sure to see that you are freed as soon as it is safe for me to do so."

He paused, noting the strange lack of concern in Tetsuya's sapphire eyes.

"What is this?" he mused, "You do not look very concerned for a man about to embark upon a 20,000 year sentence, Tetsuya."

"I thought that you said that you would have me released sooner," the noble said, giving Aizen a teasing smile.

"Ah. I have...underestimated you then?" Aizen asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have no powers. You cannot be seen or heard by the guards and you cannot move. How will you upset my plans?"

"You should have spent more time, luring me into explaining my abilities," the noble said quietly, "I was certainly beginning to fall under your spell and might actually have given myself away."

"Oh?"

_Arashi?_

Aizen stared as Tetsuya's slender body disintegrated before his eyes, splashing to the floor of the cell in a puddle of water. A moment later, the light in his cell flashed red and Aizen felt a stronger seal encompass the room. The door opened and Tetsuya entered the room, followed by a full detail of guards. Aizen smiled warmly at the noble as he was led back to his chair and bound again.

"You will need to take greater care of the seal on his own powers," Tetsuya directed them, "He was able to use hypnotic powers, although the seal on the hougyoku seemed to hold well enough."

Tetsuya's eyes held Aizen's steadily as the prisoner was bound again, and the guards left them alone.

"_My apologies_," Tetsuya said, still gazing into his one uncovered eye, "but I could not dishonor my clan by being the one who let you escape."

"I see," said the prisoner, "But will you tell me now? How did you escape? Was it your partner? But...he or she wouldn't have sensed anything. And no power can break those bindings from without."

"The bindings weren't broken," Tetsuya explained, "And although I could not use my powers, my partner was able to free me, using his. You see, my partner isn't actually a separate being, but the physical manifestation of my enormous fighting spirit. It cannot be contained within my body, so part of my power dwells in my stallion, Arashi. And being as one, he was able to invoke his power inside me and pull me to freedom, using waterforms I set before entering this place. He removed me from the cell, leaving a waterform behind, which shattered when I left, then he placed me in another waterform outside the cell."

"Ah, nicely played, Kuchiki Tetsuya. You are truly much more than I gave you credit for. But is this to be our parting? Will you not come and see me again?"

"We shall see," the noble said, leaning forward and kissing Aizen on the cheek, "One never knows. Farewell, Aizen Sousuke."

Even though he didn't look back, Aizen's sly smile followed him out the door. It remained with him as he quietly served the rest of the night outside the prisoner's cell, and as he left Central 46 on Christmas morning and found Arashi waiting for him among the snow shrouded trees.

He climbed onto the black stallion's sleek back and turned him in the direction of Kuchiki Manor, Aizen's smile and the hougyoku's voice still haunting him.

_You think that you can walk away, but you won't be able to. You opened your heart to Aizen Sousuke, foolish noble, and bound thereby made your fate. Take care of the secret inside of you. Things will be much more dangerous for you now._

Tetsuya pushed the words away with an impatient sigh, his hand coming to rest absently on his abdomen as he rode, and his heart secretly enjoying the gentle swirl of Aizen's remaining heat inside him.

And somewhere beneath that slender, pale hand, a greater secret grew quietly.


	2. That Feeling Inside

**Chapter 2: That Feeling Inside**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Well, look who's back from his date with the devil!" laughed Renji, giving Tetsuya a brotherly pat on the shoulder, "Good to see you survived."

Tetsuya sat down at the food laden table, near Byakuya's side and smiled up at Koji as his attendant served him.

"Arigatou, Koji. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Tetsuya-san," Koji answered, grinning back at him.

Tetsuya took a sip of warm, spiced cider and glanced back at Renji.

"Ah," he went on, "Well, Aizen Sousuke is a very dangerous man, however, it is a little easier to manage him when he is securely bound and his powers are sealed away. Although, I did notice while I was there that his powers had begun to leak through the seal.

Byakuya frowned worriedly.

"That is not good news," he mused grimly.

"I reported the matter," Tetsuya assured him, "so they tightened the seal on him. The seal on the hougyoku seemed strong enough, however..."

Byakuya and Renji's eyes fixed on the younger noble, both going deeply concerned.

"It is still dangerous too," Tetsuya explained, "I heard its voice in my mind. I did not detect reiatsu around it powerful enough to allow it to break free of the seal, but it still has more passive abilities that allow it to interfere in more subtle ways...perhaps through suggestion and mental manipulation."

"You reported that as well?" Byakuya asked quickly.

"Of course," Tetsuya affirmed, "It was suspected from the start that some innate powers in both Aizen and the hougyoku would leak through the seal. And that is why they continuously monitor him. They have also installed better protections within and without his cell."

"Which I am sure you were able to help them improve on," Renji said, grinning, "You're pretty damned good at what you do, Tetsuya-san. It's no wonder Central 46 asked for you."

A soft blush rose on Tetsuya's cheeks.

"Thank you, Renji-san," he said, smiling back.

"Hey, enough about work," Rukia laughed, "We're supposed to be celebrating, ne?"

"But I'm interested in hearing more about Tetsuya-san's night with Aizen Sousuke," complained Renji, "Did you get to go in and see him, Tetsuya-san?"

"Eh, for a bit," he admitted, "but one must be cautious not to do so for too long...to avoid his use of more innate abilities that are not subject to the seal on his powers."

"You guys are impossible," sighed Rukia, rolling her eyes.

"Well, this is _interesting_!" Renji insisted, "So Tetsuya-san, you said that the hougyoku spoke to you? What did it say?"

"Um," Tetsuya said, looking down into his cider glass for a moment, "I actually only said that I heard its voice. Aizen told me that it is sentient. That is part of what makes it so dangerous."

Byakuya's gray eyes fixed on his cousin, studying the hints of discomfort in his expression and quietly taking note. He reached over and squeezed Renji's hand affectionately.

"I think that Rukia is right, watashi no koi. It is a time to celebrate. We can talk about work matters later. Tetsuya has been up all night and needs to eat and wind down before going to get some rest."

"Aww, you're not going to join us at Kisuke's later?" Renji said, looking disappointed, "I have a friend who's going to be there...a really nice guy who's been asking about you, ever since he saw you at the sixth a few weeks ago."

"Renji, knock it off!" Rukia said, throwing a rice ball at him.

"Hey! I was just trying to...!"

"It's all right, Rukia-chan," Tetsuya said, smiling, "Renji-san was just trying to help."

He sipped at his hot cider, then set it down, blinking sleepily.

"When one is in love, sometimes the feelings are too much to contain," he said, remembering.

_"Tetsuya, you must be quieter or they'll hear! Please, stop. Don't cry like that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you!"_

_"I'm not crying because of that," Tetsuya said, diving into Naoki's arms and burying his face in the other youth's shoulder, "Naoki said that he thinks I'm beautiful. He said that he loves me. I didn't mean to cry, but my heart beat so fast and I was shaking all over and couldn't hold it inside!"_

_"Ah," Naoki said, rubbing the younger boy's back gently and kissing his forehead, "You scared me, Tetsuya. I thought that I made you afraid."_

_He sighed softly and closed his eyes, resting his face in the tumbled waves of Tetsuya's black hair and breathing in his warm, sakura scent._

_"I touch Tetsuya in the way the guards do, but when I do it, I do so because I want us both to feel the love between us."_

_"You are wrong, Naoki," Tetsuya whispered, lifting his chin and looking into Naoki's kind, brown eyes._

_"What?"_

_"You don't touch me the way they do. When Naoki touches me, it feels completely different. And while I feel nothing when the guards touch me, one small touch or smile from Naoki makes my heart overflow."_

_Tetsuya's etes widened as a tear rolled down Naoki's face._

_"I'm sorry!" Tetsuya said hastily, "I've made you cry too!"_

_"You were right, Tetsuya," Naoki said, kissing him, "When we touch each other and speak to each other the way we do, the feelings do overflow. But these are happy tears."_

_He pulled Tetsuya close and hugged him tightly_

_"It is...good to have something that can make us cry happy tears. In this place, to know true happiness and love...it is a great gift, Tetsuya. It gives me hope."_

"Tetsuya, are you all right?" Byakuya said, breaking into the younger man's haze.

"Oh...yes, Byakuya-sama. I am just...extremely tired. Please forgive me. I really must go and rest now. Enjoy your time in Karakura Town."

Tetsuya rose and exited the room, leaving the others staring after him. Rukia elbowed Renji, making him grunt in surprise and pain.

"Good going, baka! You upset him. Didn't you see the look on his face."

Renji swallowed hard and looked down at his plate.

"I'm sorry," he said in an unusually quiet tone, "It's just that he seems lonely. He's so kind to everyone else. I just wanted..."

"Do not worry," Byakuya assured him, capturing the redhead's hand under the table, "You were trying to help. I understand. It is just that Tetsuya has never really been able to move beyond his feelings of guilt and regret."

"He was very much in love with Naoki," Rukia went on, "And what Naoki felt in return for Tetsuya was enough to make him give up his own life to save my cousin's. Tetsuya always says how grateful he is for that. But...he has not ever forgiven himself. I was at the cemetery once and overheard him apologize to Naoki, and he said that he promised never to make anyone love him that much again. Whatever he had to do, he would not let anyone die to save him again."

"He grew powerful over the years," Byakuya added, "always wanting to be the one to protect, and never wanting to need protection for himself. It is a great weight he carries. But I choose to believe that with time, he will learn to love again. Tetsuya has too gentle a heart to refrain from love. He will find it again, but on his own terms."

"Okay," Renji said, shaking his head, "I'll stay out of it then. But I hate to see the guy being so much alone, you know? It's wrong for someone like that to be so alone."

"I agree," Byakuya said, lifting Renji's hand and kissing it gently, "And if the time comes that we can help him to open that door, we will."

"Until then," Rukia said, looking at the door Tetsuya had gone out, "We can only show him love and kindness, and hope that he finds some happiness in that."

Tetsuya stood outside the dining room door, his back resting against the wall and a look of anguish on his face.

_I hate worrying them so. But I cannot allow myself to fall in love again._

Tears flooded his eyes and ran heedlessly down his face. His arms wrapped around his midsection and silent, gripping sobs shook his slender form.

_Don't cry._

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath and looked up in alarm.

"N-naoki?" he whispered.

_No,_ said the voice, sending a chill through the noble as he realized.

"The...hougyoku?"

_You remember that I told you that I would fulfill your desires?_

"How can I be hearing it now?" he whispered shakenly.

_You opened your heart to Aizen Sousuke, and I am fused to his soul. Your lovemaking bound you to him, and thereby, to me._

_N-no!_

_Don't be afraid. I only want to fulfill your greatest desires. You want to protect your loved ones and you want to end the threat of Aizen Sousuke. Remember? I will help you do that. But there is more._

"Wh-what?"

_You are afraid to fall in love again, because your lover died saving you, and you fear it could happen again. Don't bother denying it. I heard the words of your friends, their desire for you to know love again. I can help you to do that._

_How?_

_Think Tetsuya. There is a person you can love who will never die. He can't die. He is immortal._

Tetsuya's body stiffened.

_No! Aizen Sousuke is a monster! _he thought fiercely, _I could never love a man like that. Leave me alone!_

He ran down the hallway to his room, waving Koji off as his attendant approached him.

"Tetsuya-san?"

"Not now. Please, just go, Koji-san!"

The attendant watched as Tetsuya closed the door between them.

"Tetsuya-san," he whispered, "What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?"

Tetsuya ran through the dressing area and into the bathroom, where he abandoned his clothes and retreated into the shower. He closed his mind to the sound of the hougyoku's voice, breathing a sigh of relief as it slowly faded.

_It must be weaker because of the seal. But it seemed so close. It felt like it was inside me. And the things it said! It knows why I do not ever want to fall in love. But what it said about Aizen Sousuke! I could never...never love a man like him!_

_Not ever._

He pushed the thought from his mind and tried to make his mind blank and still. But even as calm began to return to his exhausted body, something else invaded his mind.

_"Don't think I am stupid, Aizen Sousuke. You use everyone around you."_

_Aizen moved forward, smiling as Tetsuya backed away until he was gently trapped against a wall of the cell._

_"And you do not 'use' the people around you?" Aizen asked, bringing his lips close to the noble's again, "You use me for company, your cousin Byakuya as your motivation for building your strength...for remaining alive even. Need I go on? Your motives are more pure, but we all use the people around us, Tetsuya. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. And right now is the perfect example."_

_"What do you mean?" Tetsuya asked, his eyelids fluttering anxiously._

_"We are both lonely, using each other for company. And we both long for affection and physical contact, but do not desire love, ne? So, we share a common purpose."_

_"I did not come here to...!" Tetsuya began, his blue eyes flashing._

_He broke off as Aizen's lips crashed hungrily into his and feasted on them voraciously, while the prisoner's hands slipped beneath his clothes, one curving around his bottom and the other seeking his nether region._

"That's all it was," he told himself, closing his eyes tightly and shivering as he felt again the heat, the pressure, the intensity of those hardened, demanding lips, "just the two of us using each other for comfort, for relief from our solitude."

His skin quivered with the memory of Aizen's searching hands, of the tickle of warm breath, and the smooth, deceptively gentle sound of his voice. Hot water rained down onto his bare body, rolling lightly over him and teasing his sensitive areas until he felt an ache in his loins.

_He wrapped his arms around the still uncertain noble, plunging deeply into his mouth and teasing his tongue mercilessly until it couldn't help but curl around his. Tetsuya's arms returned his embrace, and he slid onto Aizen's lap, spreading his soft, creamy thighs and letting their aroused members touch as their kissing deepened._

Dizziness and arousal swept over the noble, leaving him shaky and leaned back against the tile wall.

"I have to stop this," he hissed softly, "Stop it! Go away!"

_Is this what you want, Tetsuya?_

"No! Stop!" he panted softly.

_Open your eyes._

"Please! Please just stop. Stop."

_Why are you afraid? Just look and let yourself be comforted. You laid down with him for comfort before. Let him comfort you now._

"But...he is in the prison."

_Open your eyes._

Tetsuya's eyes opened, then widened in shock as he found Aizen Sousuke standing naked in front of him. He let out a cry of shock and terror and fled the room, then froze as Koji burst into the room. The attendant slid to a stop, staring at his naked and wild-eyed charge.

"Tetsuya-san!" he said in a scared voice, "What happened? I heard you cry out. What was it?"

Tetsuya shivered and swallowed hard.

"N-nothing," he said, turning into the dressing area.

He went quiet, standing more calmly as Koji dried him off and dressed him in a soft, sleeping yukata.

"Tetsuya-san," he said as he tied the belt at his master's waist, "Are you...going to be okay? You look like something's really wrong. Do you want me to bring Byakuya-sama?"

"No," Tetsuya said, regaining his composure, "I will be fine. I am just overly tired from being up all night. Thank you, Koji. That will be all."

He watched as the spooked attendant left, then walked out into his bedroom and slid into his bed.

_I just need to sleep. I am overwhelmed with lack of sleep. If I just get some rest, it will all go away._

He quieted his mind and closed his eyes, quickly falling towards senselessness. He had almost fallen asleep, when he felt someone slide into the bed with him.

"No, I don't..."

He opened his eyes and froze as they came to rest on a darkly handsome man slightly older then him, with glinting, coal black eyes.

"Orochi," he said, staring, "What are you...?"

His cousin smiled and pulled him close, sliding a hand up his back and touching a hidden place on the back of his neck, beneath his long, wavy hair. A flicker of kido flashed at the other man's fingertips, lighting up a snake-shaped kido marking on the back of Tetsuya's slender neck. As the sigil flared, Tetsuya went still in Orochi's arms, his head coming to rest on his cousin's shoulder.

"That is better," Orochi said, caressing Tetsuya's back, then sliding the yukata down off of his shoulders, "You didn't think that I would forget you in Christmas, Tetsuya, did you?"

"Please, I haven't slept at all," Tetsuya managed, fighting the other man's power that kept him from pulling away.

"We will sleep soon. But don't forget. You still belong to me. Just as it has been since our days in Itamigiri. I own you, Tetsuya. You will please me, and then we can sleep."

_Do you want him to stop? _the voice of the hougyoku asked suddenly, _I can make him stop, Tetsuya. You don't have to do what he says._

Tetsuya's mind whirled as Orochi's hand found the back of his neck and guided him downward.

_"Relax," Aizen reassured him, curling an arm around him, "The hougyoku cannot affect your family and friends, only you and me. It can only affect the ones within its range. That is limited here."_

_"But it still requires caution."_

_"You are wise to see that," Aizen commented,_

Tetsuya shivered, stopping with his lips just a breath away from Orochi.

_Do you want to be free of him?_

Tetsuya's heart pounded as Orochi made a sound of impatience and forced his head down.

"N-no!"

He felt a flash of power, a scathing heat that burned the back of his neck where the snake marking was.

"What did you say?" Orochi asked angrily, grabbing him by the hair and yanking his head back, "You are mine! You do what I say! Do it now, Tetsuya."

The snake marking flared brightly, then flickered and slowly faded. Tetsuya felt the heavy weight of the sigil's power fade, and his body fell back under his own power again. Orochi's free hand rose and struck at him. Freed of the other man's power, Tetsuya's hand moved and caught Orochi's, just shy of his face. Orochi stared in surprise.

"What?"

"Get out," Tetsuya hissed softly, glaring at his cousin, "You have no power over me anymore. If you _ever _touch me again, I will kill you!"

Orochi's eyes flared with fury.

"You dare to..."

"GET OUT!" Tetsuya screamed, "GET OUT OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kido erupted suddenly from his hands, throwing his cousin off of the bed and sending him crashing to the floor. Orochi rolled to a stop, registering the sound of pounding feet approaching the room, and he glared at Tetsuya.

"You will pay for that!" he snarled, jumping to his feet and flash stepping away as the inner door to Tetsuya's bedroom was thrown open.

A frantic looking Koji ran into the room, followed by Torio, Byakuya and Renji. Tetsuya stared at them in silence, disbelief at what he had done raking his body and overwhelming his tired mind. He swayed wearily and collapsed, falling into Koji's arms as the attendant scrambled onto the bed.

"Tetsuya-san!" cried Koji, "Tetsuya-san, what's wrong? Was it a nightmare? What happened? Tetsuya-san!"

Byakuya bent over his cousin, extending his hand over Tetsuya's body, then sighing softly.

"Torio, bring the clan healer."

He loosed Tetsuya from Koji and laid him down on the bed. Moments later, the clan healer flash stepped into the room and looked from Tetsuya, to Byakuya and back again.

"What happened, Byakuya-sama?" he asked quickly.

"Tetsuya seemed to have some kind of nightmare," Byakuya explained, "We heard him cry out and entered the room, but he collapsed and seems to have lost consciousness. Do you sense anything wrong with him?"

The healer leaned over Tetsuya and examined him carefully.

"The poor lad is exhausted, Byakuya-sama," he reported, "He has obviously been pushing himself too hard and merely came to the end of his strength. His reiatsu is abysmally low. I will give him an infusion. Then, he will just need to rest."

"But he's going to be all right, ne?" asked Renji.

"He will be fine," the healer assured them.

"Arigatou, Michio," Byakuya said gratefully, "Koji, you will use the attendant's recess in Tetsuya's room tonight. I want you to wake me if he has any more nightmares or if anything else happens. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Byakuya-sama," Koji said, bowing his head, "I will watch over him."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to darkness in his room and caught his breath in surprise at having slept through Christmas Day altogether. He quickly sensed Koji's presence in the attendant's recess in the corner of the room, and kept his body turned away as he looked out the garden doors to where the snow fell softly.

_What happened before?_ he wondered, _Orochi has controlled me, using that snake sigil since our days in Itamigiri, when he claimed me as his and warned the other guards never to put their hands on me. I have never been able to resist the sigil's power, so why did it break now?_

_I heard the hougyoku's voice inside my mind. Could it have affected the sigil? Can it be affecting me, even now that I have left the prison. And if so, why? Why is it doing these things?_

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering.

_Do you want him to stop? the voice of the hougyoku asked suddenly_, _I can make him stop, Tetsuya. You don't have to do what he says._

A shiver passed through him, though the blankets kept his body comfortably warm.

"How is this happening?" he breathed softly.

_You opened your heart to Aizen Sousuke, and I am fused to his soul. Your lovemaking bound you to him, and thereby, to me._

"Could it be...inside me now too? Inside my mind? Is this what happened when I opened my heart to that man?"

He reached down inside himself, searching for the hougyoku's presence, but felt only calm and silence.

_Whatever that was, it seems to be gone now. Thank goodness. It was frightening how it made me see Aizen Sousuke. And the way it seemed to take over my body for a moment when Orochi came and tried to assault me. I have never been able to resist the snake sigil before, and I have never been able to defy Orochi. I even threatened to kill him, and I felt a tension in my body that promised to carry through on that threat, had he not left just then._

_So, is the hougyoku that powerful, even sealed? Can it be somehow working inside of my body. I don't feel it now, but will it return?_

_I wonder..._

He fell asleep again, still wondering. And as soon as he woke, he let Koji dress and drag him to the dining room for a quick meal, then left Arashi in the warmth of the barn and slipped away from the manor.

XXXXXXXXXX

_You are still thinking about him._

"Him?" Aizen repeated softly, "To whom are you referring?"

_You know who I mean. He has been on your mind ever since the two of you laid down together. You try to push the thoughts of him away, but it haunts you._

"What do you expect? I have been left nearly alone for a year and now this lovely young man appears and brings back tantalizing pieces of a life I had before coming here. Of course he is in my thoughts. He was lovely company."

_That is not the only reason he resonates with you. You saw it, didn't you? The way he opened his heart to you when you made love?_

"We had sex," Aizen said, sounding annoyed, "very good sex. But that was all that it was."

_Not for him. He suffers now because he realizes that he is not capable of having casual, meaningless sex. The young man opened his heart to you, and in that way, bound his fate to yours._

"Nonsense. I have no fate, nothing at all...not for the next twenty thousand years."

_What if I told you that by exploiting your bond with him, you could get out of here much sooner? Perhaps within a few short months._

"Do not play games with me, teasing me with promises of my freedom. You are the reason that I am here," Aizen reminded the hougyoku's spirit, "You rejected me, allowing the two of us to be sealed away."

_And just as easily, with the help of Kuchiki Tetsuya, I can get us free again. It won't be long now. You will see, Aizen Sousuke. Trust me. That young man is going to be everything to you very soon._

"Well, as you see, I am going nowhere. Very well, then. If you have the power, then use it to free us."

_Promise me that you will not harm Kuchiki Tetsuya...that once you are free, you will protect that young man from any threat._

A smile found its way onto Aizen's lips.

"If he proves to be the one who can bring about my freedom, of course I will protect him. After all, he has power and connections."

_Yes._

_And he has something else, _the hougyoku thought to itself, _Something that you will die to protect, Aizen Sousuke!_

Aizen started to speak, but stopped as voices sounded outside of his cell. A moment later, the cell door opened and Kuchiki Tetsuya stepped inside.

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," the prisoner said, smiling up at him, "You have come to see me again so soon?"

"Leave us," Tetsuya told the other guards.

He waited as they left, then moved forward and placed his hands on Aizen's bound forearms, leaning over him and glaring down into his one uncovered eye.

"Tetsuya?"

"Tell me!" the young man snapped angrily, "Aizen Sousuke, tell me what you did to me!"

"What are you asking me?" Aizen queried, "I don't understand."

"How is it able to do that?" Tetsuya asked desperately, "How is the hougyoku able to speak to me, even when I am not here!"

"What?" Aizen asked, looking surprised, "Tetsuya, I assure you. The hougyoku should not be able to any such thing. You must have merely imagined hearing it."

"No," Tetsuya said, shaking his head, "It...did something!"

"What did it do?"

Tetsuya closed his eyes against the memory.

"Tetsuya? What did it do?"

"There was a kido sigil on the back of my neck, a concealed one that only I and one other person knew about. Back when I was a prisoner, my cousin, Orochi was a guard there. He placed the sigil on me so that he could overpower me at will. Even after Byakuya-sama stormed the prison and freed us, Orochi would use the sigil to overcome me so that he could have sex with me."

"And you told me that you did not have a lover," mused Aizen.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke!" yelled Tetsuya, gripping Aizen's wrists "That man has been overpowering and raping me for years, and yesterday he tried to do it again. But the hougyoku's voice sounded in my mind and then the sigil shattered and lost its hold over me!"

"I would say that is a good thing," observed Aizen, "Only, it would have been better if it had killed him too."

"Don't say that!" Tetsuya hissed, fear coming into his widened eyes, "He may be a horrid man, but he is still my family. I would wish him to pay for his crimes towards me, but I don't want him to die! And yet, after the sigil lost its hold on me, I felt something else rise up inside me, and I threatened to kill Orochi myself!"

"A good idea, if you ask me."

"It wasn't me saying the words! Are you hearing me?" cried Tetsuya, "That _thing_ did something to me! It..."

"Tetsuya," Aizen said quietly, shaking his head, "The hougyoku has no power to do things like that in a body where it does not dwell. Look at my chest. You will see it is still trapped there, fused with my body. It is likely that you merely imagined it was there, and it was your own power that overcame the sigil. And what you said to your cousin was a small loss of control on your own part. You were likely very overwrought, realizing you had suddenly gained control of the situation. Your mind is playing tricks on you. You are not being affected by the hougyoku. Go home, Tetsuya. Go home and forget about what happened between us."

"And what about that voice I keep hearing?" the noble asked, shivering, "What do I do about that?"

"Nothing," Aizen advised him, "Ignore it. It is your own subconscious, playing games with you. Go now. I am sure that you have things to do in the world outside."

Tetsuya gazed at him in silence for a moment, as though to test his resolve, then he straightened and turned away, starting for the door.

"Tetsuya," Aizen said calmly, stopping him with his back to the prisoner, "Thank you for your company on Christmas Eve. It was a lovely diversion from my rather dull existence here. I hope that it was pleasant for you as well. But we should let it go. I think that it is not good for you to come back here. It seems that you are a bit fragile of mind. It is better for you to forget. Let it go."

Tetsuya remained silent, facing away from him as his hands clenched for a moment, then relaxed. He left the cell without saying anything more.

_Why did you lie to him?_

"I don't mind using other evil people, or even gentler ones who I will kill before they know they've been deceived.


	3. His True Nature

**Chapter 3: His True Nature**

**(Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear sexy, bad boy Sousuke! Happy birthday to you! And many hot love scenes!)**

The clank of his cell door opening brought Aizen out of the bored haze that usually afflicted him. He cast his uncovered eye on the ones entering, oddly finding himself hoping that Kuchiki Tetsuya would be among them.

_It is just that for one night, he cured my loneliness. He stimulated mind and body, something that one might call a kindness, and another might call passive torment. Indeed, since that small taste of freedom he gave me, it has been difficult to keep from thinking about those things, and wondering how long it will be before I experience them again. It is not enough to drive me mad, of course, but it does make me question how wholesome that young, half-blood noble really is. For all that his lovely sapphire eyes and comely face seem so innocent, they are beguiling. I wonder..._

"Ikenishi Masao," he said to the lead guard as he entered the cell, "Why are you here?"

He then recognized the other two men with the guard as high ranking specialists with the kido corps and punishment force.

"What is going on? What are you doing?"

"As if you didn't know..." muttered the lead guard, frowning, "We are improving the protections around you to keep you from escaping."

"What are you talking about?" Aizen asked, "There were no problems with the seals on my power, nor that around the hougyoku."

"As though you would speak the truth if there was!" Masao said off-handedly, "You think you are so much smarter than everyone else, don't you? But look who got taken off his guard by a lovely face and a truly sharp mind!"

"What are you referring to?" Aizen asked, already suspecting and feeling a sting of annoyance at the thought.

"You thought that Kuchiki Tetsuya was simply here to make your holiday brighter? That his only concern was to play babysitter while the council was in recess for the holidays?" the lead guard asked haughtily, "Kuchiki Tetsuya does not lead the Kuchiki household's security forces by virtue of his looks. He is a taichou level shinigami with years of experience protecting the leader of the greatest of the noble clans! He specializes in the development and assessment of power seals and containments. While you were trying to seduce the man, he was sizing you up and figuring out exactly what we needed to do to make sure that you don't escape. He gave us a whole list of improvements and warned us that you were dangerously close to being able to slip away from us. Look at this!"

The former taichou glanced at the piece of paper that the man held up and felt his blood begin to boil. But he was careful to keep his expression calm and unruffled.

_And to think, I told the hougyoku not to use him. I must be getting soft._

"Don't worry," said the lead guard with an edge of sarcasm, "We will be out of your way in an hour or so and then you can plot to your heart's content. But don't dream that you have a chance of escaping now. We know what you were trying to do, and we are prepared for whatever you will try next."

_I very much doubt that..._

He went silent, watching as the group addressed each weakness that Tetsuya had sensed within the cell, his mind replaying their coupling and the noble's odd behavior the next day. He sighed softly, his bored mind focusing deeply on the enigma that was Kuchiki Tetsuya, unraveling him and slowing working out, first, how to use the man to plan his escape, and then how to make him pay for his deception.

_You know, _the hougyoku injected into his thoughts, _he may have been deceiving you to strengthen the protections around you, but his attitude towards you is not so easy to understand. Would you like to see how your coupling affected him?_

Aizen sighed, but before he could think of an answer, his mind lit with an image of Tetsuya sitting at the table with his family, enjoying a holiday meal. Yet, although the people around him seemed merry enough, something looked off in the young noble's blue eyes. And as he slipped away from the others, he paused in the hallway, making a tormented expression and leaking tears onto his lovely face.

_You see, it is not so easy to know what drives this man. However...I have a connection with him now. I can sense his desires. Do you want to know what he desires most?_

"I tire of listening to you. You do not obey me anymore, so what use are you? You are under a seal and have no power to grant my desire to leave this place."

_I have more ability than you know. I will be honest with you. Your will to escape has not been terribly strong since you came here._

"What are you talking about? Of course I want to get out."

_Yes, but you did not crave it strongly enough, nor did I, at the time, have the means. But...I do now. Because of him._

"What do you mean? That lying little slut who used me to assess and strengthen the controls around me? He is no better than a whore, and you know it."

_You are wrong. Tetsuya did not lie down with you to take you off your guard. But you only need to think back. What did you feel in the hands that touched you? What did you sense in him?_

"He was putting on an act."

_He was lonely, Sousuke._

Aizen felt a thin shaft of pain pass through his heart, and his lips tightened before he answered.

_The two of you have the same problem...loneliness. And you seek the same thing...love._

"That is ridiculous," Aizen scoffed, "I never cared about that. Look at what happened when I did seek it. The man I loved set me up to die. Love is a very stupid indulgence for anyone wanting to maintain his life and his sanity. Perhaps I was wrong to see solitude as a problem that needed fixing."

_Tetsuya has suffered because of love as well._

"I told you. I am not interested. He was a dalliance. A very lovely and enjoyable fuck, but it was nothing...a one night indulgence."

_I can use him now to help us escape._

"Oh? How so?"

_Tetsuya's desire to be loved is stronger than yours was...and your own hunger for love has increased greatly since you laid down with him. Those powerful desires have stimulated my innate ability to grant the desires of those around me. I still cannot use my greater powers of transformation, but I can use your mutual desires to set him up to help us escape._

"Well, let me know when that happens," Aizen sighed skeptically, "You know where I will be."

_He will come back to you again, and when he does, we will escape._

"That easily? Then, why didn't you get us free when he came back before?"

_"I didn't have a strong enough connection to him yet. It is growing steadily stronger since your coupling, but it needed time to strengthen before it could be used._

"But he has to come back. You seem very certain he will."

_He will._

"Why? I told him to go."

_You will see._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya tossed and turned fitfully in his sleep, odd visions flashing across his mind and voices working with the visions to completely unravel him. Sweat broke out on his skin and he tried to come awake, but was unable to surface.

_I feel your desires...the ones that you would never speak to another living soul._

"N-no..." he moaned softly.

Aizen's handsome face loomed up in front of him, smiling at him as the man slowly undressed him.

"S-stop! Please stop!"

_When he takes you, open your heart to him._

"No!"

_Let him all of the way inside you._

"Stop it!" Tetsuya cried, coming awake suddenly as his attendant flash stepped into the room.

"Tetsuya-san! Tetsuya-san, what is wrong?"

Tetsuya started to speak, but was overcome by a sudden, intense nausea that gripped his insides forcefully. He climbed out of bed and started towards the bathroom, then felt Koji's arm wrap around him. The attendant kept him on his feet until they reached the bathroom, where the noble collapsed onto his knees, retching.

"Koji?" said another sleepy, male voice, "Is Tetsuya-san all right? Should I call for a healer?"

"Please Torio," the younger attendant said to his elder brother, as he continued to hold Tetsuya and gently rub his back, "He seems very ill."

Torio moved to the sink and wet a washcloth, then handed it to his brother. Emptied inside, Tetsuya leaned heavily against his attendant, letting his head rest on Koji's shoulder as the young man carefully washed his face. Koji's concern grew as Tetsuya's eyes flickered incoherently, then closed. His body went limp in Koji's arms, making the attendant's eyes widen with panic.

"Hurry, Torio! He's passed out!"

Torio turned and flash stepped away as the lights in Tetsuya's room went on and Byakuya appeared in the bathroom doorway, followed by a sleepy looking Renji.

"What is going on? Is Tetsuya ill?"

"He's passed out, sir!" Koji said urgently, "He woke up in some kind of distress and became sick to his stomach, then he lost consciousness."

Byakuya knelt beside the two and placed a hand on his cousin's damp, sweating face.

"Tetsuya?" he called softly, capturing a slender wrist and massaging it gently, "Watashi no itoko, can you hear me?"

Tetsuya remained still and quiet. Byakuya seemed to deliberate for a moment, then lifted his unresponsive cousin into his arms. He carried Tetsuya back into the bedroom and laid him in bed, tucking him in comfortably as the clan healer came through the doorway.

"What seems to be troubling him?"

"He was having trouble sleeping," Koji explained as the old healer leaned over Tetsuya and examined him carefully, "He woke up suddenly and cried out, then he was sick to his stomach and passed out. He is breathing all right, but it was...really scary."

"I think it looked worse than it was," the healer said, touching Tetsuya's face lightly and scanning his reiatsu, "He is not in immediate danger. It is obvious that he is still not getting enough rest, though, from what you say, it may be because of his nightmares. Has he said anything about what the dreams entailed?"

"N-no," Koji said, shaking his head, He has just been yelling things like 'No' or 'Stop.' He hasn't said anything I could understand really."

The healer closed his eyes and held a hand poised over the unconscious man's torso, sensing the area carefully, then frowning.

"What is it?" asked Renji.

"Did you find something?" Byakuya inquired.

"Well," said the healer, "I am not sure. There is something present within his body, an odd energy source, and an unfamiliar one. It seems to pulsate softly, just beneath his own. It does not appear to be malevolent, nor does it seem related to his condition. But, I will take blood and reiatsu samples, as well as a reiatsu image of that foreign presence."

The old man sighed softly.

"Just do what you can to help him rest. I will place him in a dreamless sleep for a time. He will need a few days off, so that he can recover and bring his systems back into the proper balance."

"I will make sure he rests comfortably," Koji promised, "I won't leave him all night!"

"Thank you, Koji," Byakuya said gratefully, "And Torio will relieve you to make sure that you get some rest as well."

"Well, he looks comfortable now," Renji observed, "I hope he feels better when he wakes up."

"I am sure he will," the healer assured him.

Byakuya and Renji followed the healer out of the room, while Koji tucked his master in again and crawled into the bed in the attendant's recess. Koji laid in bed, quietly watching to make sure Tetsuya slept soundly. As time wore on and the noble seemed to be sleeping peacefully, Koji, too, drifted towards sleep. He was on it's edges, barely aware, when Tetsuya's lips moved, and he spoke.

"I c-can't...I can't...with that monster..."

"That monster?" Koji repeated softly, sitting up and looking more closely at Tetsuya, "Are you speaking about _him_? Orochi-san? Do not worry. We will keep you safe from him. We won't let him hurt you like he did before. We will protect you, Tetsuya-san! We will protect you from _anyone_ who tries to hurt you!"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Sousuke._

Aizen emerged slightly from the sleepy haze he was in.

"What is it?"

_The new protections that have been placed around us are very strong this time. It seems that Tetsuya was thorough in investigating the barriers and restraints that hold us. _

_Not that it matters._

"Oh?" Aizen yawned, "Not out of any real interest, but only because I have nothing better to do, I will take the bait you are offering. So, tell me. Why have the protections ceased to matter?"

_Do you remember Tetsuya's power?_

"The one that allowed him to escape these very bonds that hold me, and circumvented all of the security in Centtral 46? Waterforms, I think he called them."

_Yes. And do you remember the dynamic that exists between Tetsuya and his stallion? The one that allows him to be pulled back by him when he is in trouble?_

"Yes. What are you getting at? I do not think that Tetsuya will ever agree to use that power to help me escape."

_No. You are right about that. However, when he comes back to see you again, we can use that power to escape._

"How so?" Aizen asked, frowning.

_As I told you before, when you made love to Tetsuya, he opened his heart to you. And while your hearts were connected, I entered his soul. And while you made love, I bonded your souls together. That is how I forged the connection that I now have with him._

"And that connection will allow us use of his powers?" Aizen asked.

_Some of my essence entered his body, and this allows me to look through his eyes, to see what is happening, and to know what he does not say aloud to anyone...perhaps things that even he has not realized._

"I do wish you would get to the point," Aizen sighed, closing his eyes again.

He sucked in a surprised breath as an image of Tetsuya rose up in his mind. He watched, entranced, as he saw Tetsuya stagger out of bed, to be assisted to the bathroom by his attendant.

_Do you wonder what is wrong with him? _

_Does it make you curious?_

"Why don't you just tell me? What is wrong with Tetsuya?"

The hougyoku went silent for a moment, savoring the control it was about to gain over its one-time master.

_Tetsuya became ill because...he is pregnant with your child, Aizen Sousuke._


End file.
